Jay H. Walder assumes leadership of MTA

Jay H. Walder began work as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York by meeting with employees at the Corona Subway Maintenance Shop and the Casey Stengel Bus Depot in Queens, before greeting customers at the Main Street Station on the #7 line. He stressed the need for the MTA to deliver on its commitments, show taxpayers good value, and improve engagement with the communities it serves.

“I am proud of the MTA’s progress over the past 20 years, but we need to do more. Our customers have raised their expectations and we cannot be satisfied with the status quo,” Walder said. “In partnership with the MTA’s hard-working men and women, I know we can meet those expectations. It will not be easy, but I come to the job with my eyes open and my sleeves rolled up.”

Walder said his first priority was to work intensively with the organization to get up to speed on the MTA’s operations and better understand its challenges. He committed to quickly identifying priorities and producing a plan of action.

“By the end of my first 100 days at the MTA, we will produce an action plan for moving forward with concrete goals and timelines,” he said. “We will make the objectives clear and the communities we serve should hold us accountable for achieving real results.”

Born and raised in the Rockaways in Queens, Walder worked at the MTA from 1983-1995, rising to Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer. In 2001, Walder joined Transport for London, where he served as the Managing Director for Finance and Development until 2006. He is credited with the introduction of the system’s extremely popular “Oyster card” and with drafting the transportation plan for London’s successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

”New Yorkers should be able to expect the same type of customer experience riders enjoy in London, with accurate arrival information and modern fare technology,” Walder said.

Walder was nominated by Governor David A. Paterson on July 14 and confirmed by the New York State Senate on Sept. 10. His term expires June 30, 2015.

Walder attended Harpur College at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and received a master'’s degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.